Machine-gun.



K. HBINEMANN.

MACHINE GUN.

APPLIGATION IILE'D APR. 7, 1913.

1,087,371 w Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

. i 2 SHEETg-BHEET 1.

K. HEINEMANN.

MACHINE GUN.

APPLICATION FILED APB..7, 1913.

1,087,371, Patented Feb.17,1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. To all whom it mar concern:

v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

KARI: 381mm, 0! BERLIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR 1'0 mm WAFFEN- UNI).MUNITIONSFQBRIKEN, OI BEBLIE'GERMANY.

' mscmmeun.

. specification otlmers mm.

Applteaflen fledA-prfl 7, 5.938. some No. 758,470.

Be it known that I, Km Human-Ann, a citizen of the German Empire,residin at Berlin, in the Kingdom of Prussia, 1'- many, have invented acertain new and usef vement' in Machine-Guns, of which 1; e following isa specification.

The present invention refers to an improvement in machine guns moreparticularly of the Maxim type, and relates to the r mechanism of suchguns. And the object of the-improvement is to provide a tr mechanismwhich can conveniently be actuated by the operator and is less tiresomein actuating than the trigger mechanism now in use, so that the accuracyin aiming the no is increased and the same person can or a longer timeaim the gun with undiminished accuracy.

With this object in view my invention consists in so arranging themember of the trigger mechanism which is directly acted upon by thegunner, that it is pulled backward by the forefinger or medium finger,of being pushed forward by means of the thumb. Thereby the gunner isenabled to firmly grasp the handle provided at the rear of the gun withhis palm'and the thumb, so that he has a strong hold of the gun. This isparticularly of lmportance for example, when the gun is fired withconsiderable elevation.

In carrying out my invention there is arranged between the handle of thegun and the vertical double armed rocking lever which is connected withthe horizontal trigger bar a horizontal double armed trigger lever theinner end of which is resting against the upper end of the said rockinglever while its outer end is provided with a finger piece forming a restfor the finger actuating the trigger mechanism.

As machine guns are ordinarily eguipped with two handles in thepreferred orm of my invention a trigger lever is provided in front ofeach of the said handles, and the inner ends of the trigger levers aresuitably connected with each other, in order to enable the operator touniformly and simultaneously act on the trigger mechanism with bothhands.

For the purpose of explaining the inven-.

ing drawings in which the same letters of brackets a and a respectivelreference have been used mall the views to andlcate oorrespondi parts.

In'sa1d draw1ngs igure 1, is a plan view of the rear part of a gunequipped with my nnprowed trigger mechanism, Fig. 2, is a rear viewthereof, Fig. 3, is a side View thereof, and Fig. 4 shows on a smallerscale a lateral elevatlon, partly in section, of a Maxim gun constructedin accordance with and embodying the invention.

In the drawings only so much of the gun has been shown as is necemry forexplainmg the invention. The eneral construction of the gun is known in1: description.

Referring to the example illustrated in the drawings, on the rear part Aof the easmg which incloses the breech mechanism a pair of verticalhandles g and g are provided which are connected with the breech art andneeds no casin by pairs of upper and lower arms 72.,-

k a it, 7:, which are preferably curved. To each of the upper arms 72.,h horizontal are secured which are directed inward. he brackets a and aare provided, with pivot bolts 0 and 0' respectively for horizontaltrigger levers b and b respectively.

At their inner ends the trigger levers are preferably cranked, andarticulated with each other for example by means of a pivot bolt 6secured to one of the levers and playing in an elongated hole of theother lever. The free outer ends of the trigger levers are furnishedwith finger pieces f and f which are directed downward and form restsfor the finger and are preferably provided with a suitable lining offiber, leather or the like, whereby they can more conveniently be actedupon particularly in cold weather. The length of the trigger levers issuch, that their finger pieces 7 and f are located substantially infront of the handles g and g respectively and that their inner ends restagainst the rear face of the double armed upright push lever 03 which ispivoted at i to the machine frame and actuated by a spring (2. The saidpush lever 03 engages with its lower end a notch in the trigger barslidable in the-longitudinal direction of the gun.

The operation of-the trigger mechanism is as. follows: The gunner graspswith his dexfingers against the front sides of the hands the handles 9and g and puts his infinger pi eces f and f of the trigger levers b andb For firing the gun the gunner pulls one or both finger pieces f and fwith one or both index fingers backward toward the handle or handles 9and g. Thereby the trigger levers b and b are horizontally rocked inorder to swing or rock forward the upper end of the sprin actuated pushlever 05. The lower end 0 the said push lever being rocked rearward atthe same time pulls back the sliding trigger bar is where y the firingbolt is released in the usualway.

I claim p 1. In a machine gun of the type described the combination withthe gun frame, of a handle secured thereto, an upright double armed,spring actuated push lever engaging with an operating thesliding triggerbar of the trigger mechanism, of a double armed trigger lever adapted tobe pulled backward and to operate the said upright push lever,

one arm of said trigger lever being in en-' gagement with the free endof the push lever and the other arm being provided with a finger-piecelying adjacent to the grasping portion of the handle.

2. In a machine gun of the type described the combination with the gunframe, of a handle secured to the rear of the frame, a triggermechanism, a slidable trigger bar arranged to operate said triggermechanism,

said trigger bar, a

an upright double armed, spring actuated push lever engagin with itslower end the orizontal double armed trigger ever pivotally fixed at a'point inter- "medlate the push lever and the gun handle and adapted torest with its inner end 7 against the upper end of the push lever, the

outer end of the trigger lever eing provided with a finger piecesubstantially in front of the said handle.

3. In a machine the combination with the gun frame, of a air of handlessecured to the rear of the ame, a trigger mechanism, a slidable-triggerbar arranged to operate said trigger mechanism, an upright double armed,spring actuated push lever engaging with its lower end said trigger bar,and a pair or horizontal double armed trigger levers, each pivotallyfixed at a point intermediate the said push lever and one of the gunhandles,

the inner ends of the said trigger levers being articulated with eachotherand adapted to rest against the upper end of the push lever, eachof the outer ends of the said trigger levers carrying a finger pieceapproximately in front of the appertaining gun handle.

\ KARL HEINEMANN. Witnesses I 7 HENRY HASPER, WOLDEMAR HAUPT.

gun of the type described

